Musically Inclined
by crackberries
Summary: Or something to the like. Or maybe we just sing along to the same songs too often.


It's crummy out and I have no homework so I tried doing this whole thing where I set my ipod on shuffle and wrote to ten songs. All were written within the time span of the song. Not writing to the lyrics per se for half of them, just writing to the mood.

I've only really edited for spelling, not content itself, so there might be inaccuracies here and there since I did them all off the top of my head. Also, idk where title/summary came from, I just didn't feel like writing something like "lol here be sum drabbles"

* * *

><p><strong>1. Another Postcard- Barenaked Ladies<strong>

Gilbert went on vacation with Arthur a week ago, and since then, all Matthew has heard from his boyfriend is a e-mail saying "omg it's so great here! you can't believe all the chicks i'm finding!" which has Matthew give a good natured laugh and a "I'm sure you are" as a reply.

Which is because the "vacation" Gilbert and Arthur have gone on is actually a hunting expedition with India. Of course, India just wants a chance to terrorize them, especially Arthur, who will never stop from wanting to jump twenty feet in the air when he comes face to face with Bengal tiger. Knowing them, Arthur and Gilbert are probably too busy trying to prove their masculinity in ways that don't involve picking up women or men,

Another week passes by, before Matthew gets an envelope in the mail, containing a package of photos. A note is scrawled, letting Matthew know that this is a bunch of pictures of all the chicks that Gilbert has been bragging about. When photos of Gilbert and Arthur getting chased by chickens fall out, Matthew can't help but laugh at his boyfriend's predictability

**2. The Navy Song- Billy Talent**

Amongst all the panic, there was one very calm naval officer, who for once decided not to make his presence known. Eventually they would all fade away into the salty ocean; he was just the first to acknowledge the fact.

As they waited below deck for their impendig doom, he caressed the head of the older brother of _him_. He never thought they looked alike but in times like this, it was enough.

"How much more?" Alfred asked, giving a tired grin.

"Not long." Gilbert reassured him, brushing a bloodstained lock of hair off the damp forehead. _For either of us._

He couldn't remember details anymore; the enemy had got the ship harder than expected and that was as much of his memory he would give to the situation.

"Y'know who I'm gonna miss th' most?" Alfred slurred, fogged blue eyes taking a slight gleam. "Her."

Alfred feebly dug into his breast pocket and retrieved an aged black and white photo, passing it to Gilbert.

She stood tall and proud, torch held high as she looked on with her green, larger-than-life expression.

Gilbert closed his eyes, and pretended it was Matthew who was lying in his lap and spouting patriotism as his dying words. Matthew, who had already died in the trenches. Matthew, who he had devoted his life to in more than one way. And Matthew, who reciprocated the feeling.  
>Gilbert had secretly never been much of a religious man, but as the violent waters swallowed the ship, he hoped to god that whoever the powers may be would lead him to Matthew.<p>

**3. Toxicity- System of a Down**

He didn't know he wanted to be alone until he found himself in the company of another. And of course, of the few people who recognized him, this one had to be his enemy.

"Canada."

"Prussia." He acknowledged the other's presence outside the small dingy building where the nations were still holding meetings, despite their growing viciousness to each other. Just like Prussia remembered Canada, Canada remembered that Prussia would rather not be referred to as East Germany. At least, not now.

After a long silence, in which Prussia took out a cigarette and offered one to Canada, Prussia finally spoke.

"After all this chaos is over, we should go drinking."

Canada blinked at the unusual offer. He had heard rumours on how far leaders had bent their nations, and he was sure Prussia was no exception. But they would pass; all the humans, all the leaders did. And the nations would bounce back, somehow.

"Sure."

**4. A Thousand Miles- Vanessa Carlton**

There are many reasons Matthew doesn't play his music. Not everyone agrees with his tastes, and he doesn't like to impose his music. He just lets the other pick what they want to listen; unlike others, he is capable of sitting through a song he doesn't like.

But Gilbert, his old time friend and freshly minted boyfriend, always insists Matthew bring his music into the car when they meet up for whatever reason. Usually it goes okay but...

"I can't believe you still listen to this!" Gilbert laughs, and Matthew grips the steering wheel a little tighter. "I can't believe you listened to this in the first place!"

"Shut up." Matthew grumbles with no avail and Gilbert continues laughing over Matthew listening to this total chick song. Matthew decides not to tell Gilbert that he was considering suggesting that they make it their "song" due to their long distance relationship (Germany was finding more and more work for Gilbert to do), lest Gilbert die from amusement.

**5. The Ghost of You- My Chemical Romance**

Of course, the letter would be sent to Katyusha instead of him, because that's just how it was. But Katyusha knew about their relationship, and still found space in her heart for a husband that could never love her in a more than a platonic way, no matter how hard Matthew tried.

So Gilbert had opened his door to face a teared up Katyusha and as she calmed down enough to speak, his arrogant demeanour had started to crumble. The end of the night found Katyusha curled up on his couch, sleeping the pain away, while soulless red eyes were fixated on the formal writing and the condolences standard or informing families of death.

**6. These Walls- Dream Theatre**

Gilbert pushed back with his sword, but his doppelgänger fought with equal force. Which fucked up wizard thought about making _these_ guys?

He finally managed to drive the long steel blade through the other's stomach, and pulled it out. It had a little too much suction, and Gilbert grimaced. It was odd watching himself die, especially when the body started to immediately deteriorate upon contact with the ground.

_One down, eighteen to go._

Going off on his own was a horrible idea in hindsight, but Gilbert had long gotten tired of the tempered old king and his eyebrows. He ended up in situations like the current one, where he would be fighting off various creatures and would get just _horribly_ outnumbered. He was alone in the rolling green fields, but that was only for now. There were eighteen more doppelgängers hiding, eighteen more waiting to strike.

Like the one that just jumped high in the air from behind, brandishing a sword and letting out a war cry. Gilbert whipped around, but it was too late for defend himself.

But it wasn't too late for someone else to defend him, and two arrows made direct contact with the attacker, one after the other. The first struck him in the eye, and the other in the art, and Gilbert managed to duck in time to not be avoided being hit by a falling dead version of himself.

He heard one more arrow whiz behind him, and another strangled cry, and knew another one of those creatures that looked like him had been taken down.

So it continued like that, with Gilbert cutting down whomever the arrows didn't catch, until every single doppelgänger was dead. As he managed to lop off the head of the final, a great gust wind rushed over the field.

"No need to show off!" He yelled into the sky as a shadow passed over and more wind gushed through. There was laughter in return, and finally, _finally, _Matthew decided to land his godforsaken runt of a dragon onto the field.

"Just because you're a good archer..." Gilbert grumbled, helping Matthew hop off even if it wasn't really necessary. "And may or may not have saved my awesome skin."

"Maybe." Matthew smiled, and Gilbert remembered the reasons why going off on his own wasn't such a bad idea after all.

**7. Love Story Theme Song**

The grey sky loomed over as Matthew and Gilbert sat in a coffee shop, across from each other.

"I don't write love stories." Gilbert replied tersely to the question that Matthew had previously posed. "Waste of time."

"Really?" Matthew decided to inquire further. "Why?"

The curiosity was digging at him, because after the way the author had wooed him over the past year, he had expected Gilbert to have some experience writing on the subject matter.

"It's not permanent." Gilbert shrugged, stirring his coffee idly. "Love's not permanent."

Matthew bit his tongue at that, and Gilbert continued.

"It's either the love that doesn't last, or the people themselves." Gilbert stated. "It's too depressing for me to ever touch."

It cast a morbid tone over the rest of the evening but a few years later, the words had proved true as a drowsy Matthew drove them over the rail of the road and into the river below.

**8. Mad World (Cover) - Gary Jules**

Gilbert squeezed the hand of the blond.

"Don't worry." He said. "It happens."

Face still paled with shock, Matthew nodded, and allowed Gilbert to pull him out of the alleyway and away from the decaying body. It was his second month of being homeless, and it was Gilbert's sixth week. But Gilbert seemed to put up a stronger front, so as they tried to find shelter and maybe food in the desolate and run down city, it didn't bother him when they came across another person who had passed away. Maybe from the cold, maybe because he had something someone else wanted.

They stepped out onto the brightly lit streets, orange streetlight cast over the wet roads. The air smelt of garbage, car exhaust, and rain. Matthew wanted a warm bed, warm clothes, a warm home. But it would mean going back, going back to foster care, going back to living a life that was content on letting him just get by. Of course, that was what he was doing in this situation now.

But, Matthew thought as Gilbert gave him another reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and directed them to a bus stop for temporary cover, at least _this _was his choice.

**9. Holiday- Greenday**

"If this runs out of fuel, I'm going to have to murder someone." Gilbert says over the whipping wind. "Especially if it runs out before a gas station."

Matt just laughs, enjoying the feeling of the cool air running through his hair as they zoom down the deserted road in a Jeep that's had its roof ripped off. With ease, Gilbert navigates around wreckage. Ocassionally, he runs over a dead body, but the terror has long lost its effect on the two men.

They've come to grips that the world has ended. At least their world, because they haven't been able to put enough wit together to attempt to make contact with people beyond North America. Then again, there are no foreign helicopters rushing in to save people, so they can only assume that it's been the entire world that's gotten fucked over.

The two found each other around six months ago, and since then, have been inseparable. Yes, there's been the occasional case where there are some vicious survivors who have attempted to kill over food, and one where Gilbert swears on his dead mother's (and brother's and father's) that they were attacked by a zombie.

Matt's pointed out that they've stopped grieving, and have started to do reckless things like setting houses on fire after they take shelter in them for a few days, and hot wiring cars to drive down empty high ways while blasting loud music.

And Gilbert points out that they're probably both going to die very soon in a very gruesome manner, since almost everyone else on the godforsaken planet has, and they should try making survival as fucking _awesome_ as possible.

The car seems to be going strong, so Matt turns up the radio.

**10. The Lion Sleeps Tonight- The Tokens**

Matthew rubs his eyes, trying to make sure he's seeing what he's seeing. That happens to be Gilbert, Kumasomething, and that alien friend of America's, holding hands and dancing in a circle.

_"Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight..."_

They are all wearing tribal markings, and Gilbert is even wearing a headdress that a Native American chief had presented to Matthew a few decades ago. In the middle of the circle, on top of a pile of Matthew's underwear (so_ that's_ where all his boxers went!), sits Gilbird, who seems to be chirping away happily to the music, complimenting the swears that Tony throws in.

Matthew decides that going back up and falling asleep is the best thing to do, so that when he wakes up, he can brush this all off as a dream.

* * *

><p>this was fun to write, haha! I might do it again. let me know what you think!<p>

And fyi, "A Thousand Miles" is the theme song to my life. Not really, but I'll never get tired of that song no matter how many times my friends call me a pussy

and the song by Dream Theatre in #5 always makes me want to write fantasy AUs with dragons and stuff


End file.
